0:00:06 > 0:00:07The FA Cup - it's got something
0:00:07 > 0:00:09for everyone.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12One last chance for glory, after a hard season.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15The kind of glory that tastes so much better
0:00:15 > 0:00:17when it's been a long time coming.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22Of course, my friends, glory is in the eyes of the beholder.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25And size isn't everything in this competition.
0:00:25 > 0:00:31It's no illusion that tiny grounds transform into manic, buzzing arenas.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33CHEERING
0:00:33 > 0:00:36You see, every fan, every player, has dreams.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40And for as long as their team is in the cup,
0:00:40 > 0:00:42they dream of Wembley.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54736 teams entered the competition,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57with the Extra Preliminary Round way back in August last year.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Whittling them down is a time-consuming process -
0:01:04 > 0:01:05shuffling the pack,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08to reveal just one winner.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15By the first round proper, in November,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17there were just 80 - just! -
0:01:17 > 0:01:2032 of them non-league clubs, the part-timers.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22The lowest ranked were Warrington Town.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27Warrington will be at home to Exeter City.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Warrington - it's a rugby league town in the North West,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33surrounded by footballing powerhouses
0:01:33 > 0:01:37in nearby Liverpool and Manchester. Would an FA Cup tie
0:01:37 > 0:01:41with League 2 Exeter City grab the locals' attention?
0:01:41 > 0:01:42You bet it would.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52CHANTING
0:01:52 > 0:01:55If you've ever wondered how, why or where
0:01:55 > 0:01:59the cliches associated with the FA Cup come from,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02there was a big clue at Cantilever Park, on a cold night in November.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04It was pure magic.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08With the smell of fried onions wafting over the ground,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11there was an air of anticipation, as the locals got kitted out
0:02:11 > 0:02:15and convinced themselves an upset was possible.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19It's 11 v 11. You've got a chance of making history.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Warrington boss Shaun Reid needed no such convincing.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25100 league places between them and Exeter, it may be,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29but tonight they were equals.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33COMMENTATOR: Four divisions between them, but for one night,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35anything is possible.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38CHANTING
0:02:38 > 0:02:40CHEERING
0:02:40 > 0:02:42It's in! Robinson!
0:02:42 > 0:02:45What a start for Warrington Town!
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Is there an end product?
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Ooh, there nearly was!
0:02:51 > 0:02:55It's unbelievable pressure from Exeter!
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Somehow, Warrington survive. Off the line.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Well, what a game. What an atmosphere.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04The FA Cup is at it again. Warrington Town,
0:03:04 > 0:03:08100 places below Exeter City,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12have a night they never, ever dreamt of -
0:03:12 > 0:03:17a giant-killing to kick off the FA Cup first round.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23In 90 minutes, normal working men had become heroes - giant-killers.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Warrington was no rugby league town that night
0:03:27 > 0:03:29and they celebrated together.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Tell us about some of the heroes out there tonight, Shaun.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34So many... Every one of them, pal,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38died for me. Died for me. We'll go again.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Round one would also remind us of how the mighty have fallen.
0:03:45 > 0:03:502008 winners Portsmouth lost in a replay to non-league Aldershot.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56And in the Midlands, 1987 winners Coventry City
0:03:56 > 0:03:59faced Worcester City of the Conference North -
0:03:59 > 0:04:02a team 65 places below them in the league ladder.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06COMMENTATOR: Headed clear, but the shot for Geddes!
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Sean Geddes doubles the lead for Worcester City!
0:04:09 > 0:04:14RACHEL RILEY: Unadulterated joy. But could the cup run continue?
0:04:18 > 0:04:21The Blues took League One Scunthorpe to a replay.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23The tie was to be settled at Aggborough
0:04:23 > 0:04:25on the last Wednesday before Christmas.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33The sides were still level after extra time. 210 minutes of action
0:04:33 > 0:04:38and the teams separated by 62 league places couldn't be separated.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42A conundrum with only one answer - penalties.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Not just any penalty shoot-out,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51this was the longest in the competition's history.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Miguel Llera had already missed an effort
0:04:54 > 0:04:56that would have put Scunny through.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58With the score tied at 13-13,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01it was the Spaniard's turn to step up again.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05And this time, he puts Scunthorpe United through,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09with the 32nd penalty.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14After two games, extra time and penalties, we had a winner,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17but it was the sort of tie that neither team deserved to lose.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Hartlepool United will argue they didn't deserve to lose
0:05:24 > 0:05:29in round two, either. They played non-league cup specialists
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Blyth Spartans, a team, like so many at this level,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35who juggle their football with proper jobs -
0:05:35 > 0:05:40factory workers, publicans and paperboys, but all players.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Players who want to look sharp
0:05:42 > 0:05:44on their big day in front of the cameras.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Is that OK? Lovely, thank you.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Someone tonight is going to be a hero,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50just make sure that hero comes from this dressing room.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Good luck, lads. Come on!
0:05:55 > 0:06:00Franks is there and Hartlepool are in front.
0:06:00 > 0:06:01It's a deserved lead.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Turnbull. Oh, brilliant!
0:06:06 > 0:06:11Brilliant goal by Steve Turnbull for Blyth Spartans.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16The FA Cup was gripping and uniting people again.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20For the Blyth fans, the emotions rose and fell in harmony,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23as they watched the clock tick towards the 90th.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Harewood. Oh, now, has it crossed the line?
0:06:27 > 0:06:32Harewood thought it had, but the officials say it hasn't.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Rivers for Blythe, can he win it here? Rivers, he can!
0:06:36 > 0:06:39And Blyth Spartans have done it again.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42The kid who works in his mother's newsagent has just
0:06:42 > 0:06:44written his name across the back pages.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49For the players and supporters, the realisation of the achievement
0:06:49 > 0:06:54is only beginning to sink in and, as the celebrations unfolded,
0:06:54 > 0:06:55there was a sense of friendships
0:06:55 > 0:06:58being forged by an unforgettable experience.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Having gorged ourselves with food over Christmas,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11the New Year sees us gorge ourselves with football,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13as the festive fixture list bulges.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15But among the many league fixtures,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19one weekend stands out, as the FA Cup shifts up a gear.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23This is where the big fish join the minnows.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Welcome to the draw for the third round of the FA Cup.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31A packed audience awaited the live draw in the Hull Aquarium.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Just five non-league clubs remained, hoping to swim, not sink,
0:07:35 > 0:07:36among football's elite.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Joined by 20 Premier League clubs in the hat,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42what chance of a lucrative draw? YOU do the maths.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49AFC Wimbledon are at home to Liverpool.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51AUDIENCE: Oh!
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Valentine's Day was six weeks away,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55but there was still talk of romance.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59This corner of South London ain't exactly Paris,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02but trust me, nights like this are intimate, passionate and special.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Liverpool's trip to AFC Wimbledon threw up memories -
0:08:07 > 0:08:12nostalgia, the famous 1988 cup-winning Crazy Gang.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14The Crazy Gang, in its time, was different.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18That kind of fits with me. You don't really see many players like me.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Up front for Wimbledon was Ade Akinfenwa.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Liverpool may have taken an early lead
0:08:23 > 0:08:25but The Beast refused to be tamed.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Off the bar and put in by Akinfenwa! It's The Beast.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35With the home crowd absolutely buzzing,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39they probably thought it was too good to be true. They were right.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Another Gerrard goal won it for Liverpool, on the week
0:08:42 > 0:08:45he announced he would be leaving his club at the end of the season.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Steven Gerrard scores his second of the night.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50He writes his own scripts.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Of course, there were upsets. There always are. The biggest was
0:08:56 > 0:08:59League One Sheffield United's victory at Queens Park Rangers.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Campbell-Ryce gets it back, still got it, he's fired the ball in.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08QPR 0-3 Blades.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10In the third round, however,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13we yearn for fairytales and the fairytale
0:09:13 > 0:09:16looked very much like continuing for Blyth Spartans.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Robbie Dale! 2-0!
0:09:19 > 0:09:23Blyth Spartans are writing their name
0:09:23 > 0:09:25all over this season's FA Cup.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Birmingham, however, had no care for fairy stories.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Thomas, again.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40Blyth Spartans' brilliant FA Cup run ends in round three.
0:09:40 > 0:09:46So, it was back to earth for the scorer of Blyth's brace, Robbie Dale.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49He was at work the next morning, opening up his mum's pub.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Regardless of the result, you can always rely on a mother's pride
0:09:55 > 0:10:01or, in case of Bolton debutant Zach Clough, a grandmother's pride.
0:10:01 > 0:10:07'Jimmy, me face is burning up, we've been waiting 12 years for this.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10'He's been with Bolton since he was eight years of age.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12'Oh, I'm getting all upset now.'
0:10:12 > 0:10:13Bolton were through to the next round
0:10:13 > 0:10:16at the expense of local rivals Wigan.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Mavis found herself trending on Twitter.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Round three also saw a repeat of last year's final,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26as Hull came to north London.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29There was far less drama this time, which was fine by me.
0:10:30 > 0:10:36Arsenal's maestros conducted, cajoled and played like this.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38You see why we call it the beautiful game.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Sanchez can turn into space...
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and go and win it.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45A moment of brilliance...
0:10:45 > 0:10:47and Arsenal are heading through.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51The rest of the Premier League's big guns
0:10:51 > 0:10:53also made it through comfortably,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56but they weren't going to get it all their own way in round four.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06I'm reminded of a quote from the film, The Usual Suspects.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world
0:11:10 > 0:11:11"he didn't exist."
0:11:15 > 0:11:18It was no trick, but Bradford had slipped through
0:11:18 > 0:11:21the early rounds of the cup pretty much unnoticed.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23At Stamford Bridge, that was about to change.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Chelsea, billionaire owner, superstars,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Premier League leaders, would-be champions.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35No-one gave us a chance and, for a while,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37it looked like they were right.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Chelsea 2-0 Bradford.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47But like all great magic, there's a surprise...
0:11:47 > 0:11:50..one moment of wide-eyed wonder.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51Well, actually, four.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54To Stead, who shoots!
0:11:59 > 0:12:01It is 2-2! It's 2-2!
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Everybody, calm down, my head's about to explode.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Bradford City 3-2 Chelsea!
0:12:10 > 0:12:11What's Stead going to do with it?
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Is it actually real? Pinch me.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Bradford City have beaten the greatest team in the country
0:12:21 > 0:12:23by 4 goals to 2.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25HE LAUGHS
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Even when you've been tricked,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31you can still appreciate the magic.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32I think this is the beauty of football,
0:12:32 > 0:12:37where a much better team can lose. More possible to happen
0:12:37 > 0:12:40in this competition, because the mentality of the small teams
0:12:40 > 0:12:42is really special.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48As Jose said, only in football can this happen.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Expecting the unexpected is all very well,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55but you don't expect it to happen twice in the same day.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59In East Manchester, the blue half,
0:12:59 > 0:13:05City, like Chelsea, every inch a 21st-century footballing superpower.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Come on, boys. Come on, boys!
0:13:07 > 0:13:11They faced Middlesbrough, a team who have soared in competition before
0:13:11 > 0:13:14but have since fallen on harder times. On this Saturday afternoon,
0:13:14 > 0:13:19the ambitious Championship side looked to spread their wings.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Bamford through the middle, Bamford found, Bamford brought down.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30Advantage, goal, 2-0 Middlesbrough, they're going through,
0:13:30 > 0:13:31Manchester City are out!
0:13:32 > 0:13:37It's another wonderful story from the greatest competition of all.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40City and Chelsea out.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Two huge upsets on the defining day in this year's FA Cup.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51The other giant of Manchester, United, travelled to
0:13:51 > 0:13:53League Two Cambridge.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56The picturesque city, famed for its academic,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59rather than footballing, prowess, was transformed as night fell.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03The Abbey Stadium provided a backdrop and atmosphere
0:14:03 > 0:14:05that would take the Premier League superstars
0:14:05 > 0:14:07out of their comfort zone.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10You wonder what the likes of Di Maria and Falcao made of it all.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14This shouldn't have been a contest, but a contest it was,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and a Cambridge squad that cost precisely nothing
0:14:17 > 0:14:22held one whose combined transfer fees were nearly ?200 million.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23COMMENTATOR: Brilliant save.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Oh!
0:14:25 > 0:14:29The whistle has gone and Cambridge United
0:14:29 > 0:14:32are heading for an Old Trafford replay.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37The Us deserved a replay, but their best opportunity
0:14:37 > 0:14:41of making round five had gone. Back in familiar surroundings,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44we won comfortably. It finished 3-0.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49In another tie that went to a replay,
0:14:49 > 0:14:54Liverpool required 176 minutes to break Bolton's defensive resolve.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59The Wanderers' lead gone.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It was something rather special that broke their heart
0:15:02 > 0:15:03a couple of minutes later.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07COMMENTATOR: Coutinho!
0:15:07 > 0:15:12What a special strike to win it for Liverpool.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15This was Steven Gerrard's 700th appearance for Liverpool.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18He'd celebrate his birthday on final day,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22his last match for the Reds, if they made it that far.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25A little prematurely, perhaps, people were beginning
0:15:25 > 0:15:28to talk about this being his competition.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39It couldn't happen again, could it? The TV guys didn't think so,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42but over 24,000 Yorkshire men and women did.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48The game against Sunderland was our biggest crowd in 50 years.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Bradford's players certainly believed and it didn't
0:15:51 > 0:15:53take them long to prove us right.
0:15:55 > 0:16:10COMMENTATOR: The ball's going into that mix-up,
0:16:10 > 0:16:18Bradford City are at it again.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20beats Mannone.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Massive goal for Bradford City.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Bradford City do it again.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31The shock this time was it wasn't a shock.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Sunderland have a nasty habit
0:16:33 > 0:16:35of losing to teams from lower divisions.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38They could now focus on Premier League survival.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41As for the Bantams, we were flying into the quarterfinals.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44It couldn't happen again, could it?
0:16:44 > 0:16:46In Boro's case, the TV guys thought it could.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50After winning at Man City in round four,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53they went to the Emirates, to face the holders,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55hopeful of upsetting the odds again.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58It was never going to happen. No, never.
0:16:58 > 0:17:04Every player, every man, had a touch in the build-up to our first goal.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11COMMENTATOR: Alexis Sanchez, lovely turn.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18Welbeck, Santi Cazorla, oh, great, intelligent ball to Gibbs...
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Brilliant goal. Olivier Giroud scores it.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27That's a goal of rare quality.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Giroud's second sealed the deal nicely.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36The competition was taking shape.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Arsenal, United, Liverpool and Villa,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42all through.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47There were underdogs. Bradford, of course, Reading and Blackburn,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49who saw off Premier League Stoke City.
0:17:49 > 0:17:55Josh King sent the Championship team into the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Like most places in Britain,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08football is a huge part of community in the Midlands.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Around here, quite appropriately, you're all kinds of blue -
0:18:12 > 0:18:18claret and blue, sky blue, white and Baggies blue or just blue...
0:18:18 > 0:18:20and gold, I guess.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Anyway, whatever you are, your team is the talk on the streets,
0:18:24 > 0:18:30at work, or wherever you choose to lubricate life's troubles.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Success can lift a community,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36but there's not been much of that around here lately.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Actually...
0:18:38 > 0:18:40it's been blue.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Really blue.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46You wouldn't believe how quiet 40,000 fans can be,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48if they're anxious, bored
0:18:48 > 0:18:50or stripped of belief.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54We began to get our belief back in the last round.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57A new boss, a fresh start...
0:18:57 > 0:18:59The deadlock is broken!
0:18:59 > 0:19:02..and goals. Two of them.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Something felt different.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Villa are through. Is this a change in their fortunes?
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And so, to another Midlands clash, in the quarterfinals.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19After the darkest of winters, the sun was out, the mood was bright
0:19:19 > 0:19:23and the players had a strut as they walked into Villa Park,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30The prize on offer was a trip to Wembley
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and, of course, those precious local bragging rights.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36What started with a dignified handshake
0:19:36 > 0:19:41between the Villans and the Baggies became rather more ferocious.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Played to Delph, in space, and Villa lead!
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Sinclair checks inside and shoots.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55And scores and wins the tie.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58It's all over, but what you're seeing there is not right
0:19:58 > 0:20:02and has soured the day, I'm afraid.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Yes, some went too far, but I ask you not to judge
0:20:05 > 0:20:08without giving thought to the context.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11For the most part, these were joyous scenes,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13fans of all ages and backgrounds
0:20:13 > 0:20:16drunk on a cocktail of euphoria and relief.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21This might just have been the best and the worst of the game
0:20:21 > 0:20:25we love, summed up in a single moment. The sort of voyeurism,
0:20:25 > 0:20:30vanity, passion and delight that only football can deliver.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34It was the quarters and it was getting serious.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Bradford couldn't rely on the element of surprise any more.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40They'd played their hand to perfection,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42but now, their cards were on the table.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Suddenly, they were expected to win.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48With all the hype, you'd be forgiven for forgetting
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Reading were in the league above. The first game was not pretty.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54The replay wasn't much prettier,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57but I guess the Reading fans will disagree with me on that one.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Here come Reading once more.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Could fall for Jamie Mackie.
0:21:03 > 0:21:043-0.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08It was quite a crazy time for us. My wife was overdue
0:21:08 > 0:21:10with our third baby. The baby came
0:21:10 > 0:21:11on Friday and we had the game on Monday.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14It was a great time for me and the family.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19Football and life intertwining again in the FA Cup
0:21:19 > 0:21:22and, just like life, the competition moves on.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Could Blackburn join fellow Championship side Reading
0:21:26 > 0:21:27in the last four?
0:21:27 > 0:21:32Facing Liverpool, in Liverpool, it seemed unlikely, but not for
0:21:32 > 0:21:34the first time in the competition, the Reds couldn't
0:21:34 > 0:21:37break down a stubborn defence at Anfield
0:21:37 > 0:21:39and, not for the first time in the competition,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42they faced a replay in the North West.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45COMMENTATOR: Nearly 30,000 here tonight,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48to see if Blackburn can reach the cup semifinal.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50And not for the first time in the competition,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54the Reds were rescued by a bit of Brazilian magic.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Coutinho in behind here. Coutinho. 1-0, Liverpool!
0:22:00 > 0:22:04And Liverpool Football Club are into the semifinal of the FA Cup.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11There are two things that big clubs want from any draw -
0:22:11 > 0:22:15a home tie and to avoid another big club.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17We got half of that right in the quarterfinals.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Old Trafford - tick.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Arsenal - not so much.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25They call it the Theatre of Dreams,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28a stage that's been graced by greats of the game,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30but the past don't count for much on nights like this -
0:22:30 > 0:22:34even if it means more to some than others.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38# We don't follow no crowd
0:22:38 > 0:22:40# They follow us
0:22:40 > 0:22:43# Don't follow no sound
0:22:43 > 0:22:45# It follows us... #
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Knockout football. Winner takes all.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Monreal...and that's 1-0, Arsenal.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Di Maria...on to Rooney!
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Arsenal weren't in the lead for long.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02The match was super-hyped, super-fast,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05furious football that lived up to its big-time billing.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11The irony was, it was settled by a guy United thought
0:23:11 > 0:23:13wasn't big enough for them.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15It's Danny Welbeck.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21Welbeck, at Old Trafford, with a goal against Manchester United,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23for Arsenal.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27This is a club that's meant so much to me and they still do.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30I'm a Man United fan and it's quite hard to knock them out of the cup.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Beating Man United was sweet. We now had Wembley
0:23:41 > 0:23:42back in our sights.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48The Gunners versus the Royals. A massive day out.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52A day to wear your colours with pride, to smile,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54laugh and enjoy the occasion.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59But with so much at stake, you can feel the nerves kick in.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Performers, players, they need them to get up for the game.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08As spectators, you're helpless, at the mercy of your team.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15COMMENTATOR: Ozil, what can he create from here?
0:24:15 > 0:24:17A little bit of room to pick out a great ball.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Sanchez, great feet, 1-0.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25They've got to be on their toes here, Arsenal, nothing's won yet.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26It's a goal!
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Towards the near post and off the woodwork. Great header.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Still going, Chalobah.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Oh, Szczesny!
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Tension from the start
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and tension after 90 minutes,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43for the fans watching and for the players,
0:24:43 > 0:24:47whose aching muscles have to survive extra time.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Alexis Sanchez.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Federici has let it go through him and Arsenal are in front.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Oh, what an awful moment for a goalkeeper.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Hero to a villain in a second.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03It's such a cruel game.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11The hero in the second semi apparently writes his own scripts.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16Steven Gerrard was eyeing up a final final in Liverpool red,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19on his birthday, of all days.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25The game against Villa started very much to script.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Coutinho, 1-0!
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Scored the winner in the fourth round replay at Bolton
0:25:31 > 0:25:32and in the sixth round replay at Blackburn,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35and he gets one in the semifinal.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39But Villa were revitalised, reincarnated, under Tim Sherwood...
0:25:40 > 0:25:42..and they hadn't read the script.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Promising from Villa.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46Benteke, 1-1!
0:25:47 > 0:25:52And Liverpool's lead lasted six minutes. Game on!
0:25:52 > 0:25:56A young Birmingham lad, unburdened by the past,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59played as if he was on the local rec -
0:25:59 > 0:26:03a performance Gerrard himself would have been proud of.
0:26:03 > 0:26:04Here's Grealish,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06into Fabian Delph, onto his right foot,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and scores! Aston Villa ahead.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13The FA Cup semifinal has been turned on its head.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Fantastic play from Grealish.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Villa victorious.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Make no mistake, this was a shock
0:26:21 > 0:26:27to him, to them and, if we're honest, even to us.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37So, Aston Villa face Arsenal in the final.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Not the script many predicted, maybe,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43but if the FA Cup was predictable,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45we wouldn't love it as we do.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52What a sight! 90,000 fans descending on the home of football.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58This match is the culmination of a journey the players of
0:26:58 > 0:27:03Arsenal and Aston Villa have been on all of their lives.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05This is the end of the road.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Wembley. Glory awaits.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Arsenal against Aston Villa.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16The 735th tie in this season's FA Cup,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19which began way back in August.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Good leap from Sanchez...
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Walcott!
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Sanchez...
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Oh, Sanchez has scored an absolute beauty!
0:27:35 > 0:27:37That was unstoppable,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39and so, it seems, are Arsenal.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44In from Santi Cazorla. It's Mertesacker!
0:27:46 > 0:27:48All over now for Tim Sherwood's Villa.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52Got to watch Giroud!
0:27:53 > 0:27:56And Giroud has tapped in a fourth.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59The final flourish from the Gunners.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Record-breaking Arsenal's cup,
0:28:04 > 0:28:05for ever Arsenal's cup.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Arsenal do it again.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13# Oh, the people hold their breath
0:28:15 > 0:28:18# Keeping it in, waiting for a sign... #
0:28:21 > 0:28:24We're in awe of the superstars.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28We delight in the magic.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34# There will never be another
0:28:34 > 0:28:36# Day for us to be... #
0:28:37 > 0:28:39So, you see, it's simple.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43In the FA Cup, there's a bit of something for everyone.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45# And we'll for ever be
0:28:45 > 0:28:48# And we'll for ever be... #